WEBVTT - Memory Lane 0:00:02.279 --> 0:00:05.720 If you thought four hours a day, minutes a week 0:00:05.880 --> 0:00:09.280 was enough, I think again. He's the last remnants of 0:00:09.280 --> 0:00:12.920 the old republic, a sole fashion of fairness. He treats 0:00:12.960 --> 0:00:15.800 crackheads in the ghetto cutter the same as the rich 0:00:15.880 --> 0:00:19.880 pill poppers in the penthouse the clearing House of Hot 0:00:19.920 --> 0:00:23.639 takes break free for something special. The Fifth Hour with 0:00:23.840 --> 0:00:34.200 Ben Maller starts right now, Saturday, Saturday, Saturday. Another addition, 0:00:34.200 --> 0:00:37.040 it's a beautiful day for a podcast. Let's do one. 0:00:37.080 --> 0:00:42.520 What do you say? Welcome in the beginning of another podcast, 0:00:42.560 --> 0:00:46.559 The Fifth Hour with Ben Mather and we do this 0:00:46.760 --> 0:00:50.120 eight days a week, the spinoff of the Overnight Show. 0:00:50.440 --> 0:00:52.960 And so happy you have found us. Tell a friend, 0:00:53.040 --> 0:00:55.120 Tell a friend, tell a friend, tell a friend, and 0:00:55.160 --> 0:00:59.000 remember where ever you get podcast, you found it and 0:00:59.040 --> 0:01:00.920 you've seen the description, so you know what's coming up 0:01:00.920 --> 0:01:03.360 on this podcast. But the I Heart Podcast Network and 0:01:03.520 --> 0:01:08.039 wherever you decide your audio content, the Fifth Hour is 0:01:08.080 --> 0:01:11.679 available in the air everywhere, in this case, in the 0:01:11.760 --> 0:01:16.480 podcast world, every single place. Now Mr West of the 0:01:16.520 --> 0:01:20.720 four oh five, David Gascon is too busy to do 0:01:20.800 --> 0:01:25.200 the podcast this weekend, and so we are joined. For 0:01:25.360 --> 0:01:29.759 better or worse, by Kevin O'Connell, who has filled in 0:01:29.840 --> 0:01:33.039 for Cooper Loop. In fact, last week he filled in 0:01:33.080 --> 0:01:37.399 for Cooper Loop and he's here for his maiden voyage 0:01:37.440 --> 0:01:41.000 on the podcast. So, Kevin, I hope you're prepared for this. 0:01:41.480 --> 0:01:44.160 You know, I figured Ben two times this week wasn't enough. 0:01:44.200 --> 0:01:45.840 I had to fill in for gascon too and get 0:01:45.880 --> 0:01:48.760 you a couple more times. Third times the charm, third 0:01:48.760 --> 0:01:52.920 time charm exactly. It's been a busy week with you. Yeah, yeah, 0:01:53.160 --> 0:01:55.880 as your life changed in the magical ways that you've 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:58.200 been on the show so much, just drastically, I mean 0:01:58.240 --> 0:02:00.560 ways I can't even explain on air. Yeah, you have 0:02:00.600 --> 0:02:03.800 a little more pep in your staff. And he pumped 0:02:03.800 --> 0:02:06.400 your chest out a little bit, walk around like a peacock. Yeah. 0:02:06.440 --> 0:02:08.079 Everyone's like, what's up with Kevin today? I'm like, well, 0:02:08.120 --> 0:02:10.320 I've been working with Ben Mallery this week. What do 0:02:10.320 --> 0:02:12.920 you expect? You know? And then they say who who? 0:02:13.320 --> 0:02:15.760 You explain? You explain who it is. It's a whole, 0:02:15.919 --> 0:02:19.480 it's a hole to do and all that, so very brandish. Well, 0:02:19.520 --> 0:02:21.400 I know a little bit about you about can we 0:02:21.400 --> 0:02:23.480 put you on the hot seat? Are we allowed to 0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:26.760 do that? Of course? Is your show, you tell me, Yeah, exactly. 0:02:26.840 --> 0:02:31.640 So you're from Orange County, right, I'm from Orange County, 0:02:31.840 --> 0:02:36.680 but you're Boston. Your family's a Boston families that correct? 0:02:36.680 --> 0:02:39.840 In that correct? Yes, I'm born and raised in Orange County, 0:02:40.200 --> 0:02:43.040 North Orange County, pacentially for the most part. And my 0:02:43.120 --> 0:02:46.040 dad is from Rhode Island, so not technically Boston, but 0:02:46.080 --> 0:02:48.320 close enough Rhode Island. I still have family back there, 0:02:48.400 --> 0:02:51.440 my cousins in Maine, one cousins in downtown Boston, and 0:02:51.520 --> 0:02:53.840 my aunt and uncle are still in Rhode Island actually, 0:02:53.960 --> 0:02:58.440 so yes, background of all Boston teams. So when you 0:02:58.480 --> 0:03:00.880 were younger, did you always go to like the Rhode 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:04.680 Island and Boston went for vacations? So yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 0:03:04.760 --> 0:03:06.640 been there plenty of times. And then now, you know, 0:03:06.680 --> 0:03:08.320 once I turned twenty one, and then I say, pretty 0:03:08.400 --> 0:03:11.480 much just in Boston. Yeah of course, why would you 0:03:11.480 --> 0:03:13.120 really get all the bars and all that going on 0:03:13.160 --> 0:03:16.079 in Boston? So sure? And then now have you ever 0:03:16.120 --> 0:03:19.280 thought about working in Boston? Moving to Boston? I would 0:03:19.360 --> 0:03:22.600 love to. Yeah, I've looked up jobs at you know, 0:03:22.680 --> 0:03:24.720 of course, w E. I you've talked about it before. 0:03:24.760 --> 0:03:26.480 I think you worked there for a little bit I did, 0:03:26.720 --> 0:03:28.639 and you know, big fans of those guys. Of course, 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:31.200 that's where I get most of my Boston content from. 0:03:31.320 --> 0:03:33.079 And yeah, I've looked up jobs for sure, and I 0:03:33.080 --> 0:03:35.200 would absolutely move there. The only thing that would stop 0:03:35.320 --> 0:03:39.480 me would obviously be the weather. Of course. Yeah, it's nasty, man, 0:03:40.080 --> 0:03:41.960 And I've only been there for like a week at 0:03:41.960 --> 0:03:43.920 a time when the weather is horrible, or a couple 0:03:43.920 --> 0:03:45.360 of weeks at a time when the weather is horrible. 0:03:45.400 --> 0:03:47.240 But yeah, if you're living there, it's like, jeez, it's 0:03:47.240 --> 0:03:50.040 pretty much like well, I'm sure your dad's told you 0:03:50.040 --> 0:03:53.119 your relatives just like five months of the year, it's brutal. Yeah, 0:03:53.160 --> 0:03:54.400 I mean, why do you think he's out here? He 0:03:54.720 --> 0:03:57.240 actually helped the buddy move when he came out here, 0:03:57.640 --> 0:03:59.560 and then he liked it so much that he drove 0:03:59.640 --> 0:04:01.520 right back, grabbed his stuff and drove right back to 0:04:01.520 --> 0:04:05.440 California because I'm moving here to the women in the weather. 0:04:05.480 --> 0:04:07.560 And he said, this is enough for me. There you go, 0:04:07.800 --> 0:04:10.040 what more do you need? That's it right there, done, 0:04:10.520 --> 0:04:14.480 problem solved right there, absolutely. And so now there's another thing. 0:04:14.840 --> 0:04:16.880 And I think you mentioned this on the show a 0:04:16.920 --> 0:04:19.080 couple of months ago that you know a guy that 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:23.200 I know before I got into radio, I when I 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:25.400 was in high school. To make a little extra money, 0:04:25.440 --> 0:04:27.839 I had a little side hustle where I would hang 0:04:27.880 --> 0:04:31.760 out and get autographs and then sell most of them. 0:04:31.760 --> 0:04:34.200 I didn't sell all of them, I sold most of them, 0:04:34.320 --> 0:04:35.919 and then I would spend the money to like go 0:04:36.000 --> 0:04:38.800 to games. I mean, I had a whole racket going. 0:04:38.839 --> 0:04:40.960 But there's and I haven't. I haven't really kept in 0:04:41.040 --> 0:04:43.080 contact with any of those guys that I ran with 0:04:43.160 --> 0:04:45.160 back in those days. But you know one of them, right, 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:47.640 Do you're familiar with one of those guys that that 0:04:47.839 --> 0:04:52.040 knows the dark secrets of my past? Yes, yes, the 0:04:52.120 --> 0:04:55.479 very dark secrets. His name is Jim Rafferty and he 0:04:55.680 --> 0:04:57.919 owns a bar in Placentae at my hometown, like I 0:04:57.960 --> 0:05:01.039 was just talking about, called Kelly's Corner Tavern. It's the 0:05:01.080 --> 0:05:02.599 greatest bar. I worked there for a little bit right 0:05:02.600 --> 0:05:05.280 when I graduated college. Everyone I know, my family and 0:05:05.320 --> 0:05:06.960 my friends, we all go there. We support and we 0:05:06.960 --> 0:05:08.640 actually did a go fund me for him when this 0:05:08.720 --> 0:05:12.360 pandemic hit. And great guy and small world. You guys 0:05:12.360 --> 0:05:14.840 know each other, and you guys gotten into some dark 0:05:14.920 --> 0:05:18.120 days back in your what teenage days, right, Yeah, I 0:05:18.160 --> 0:05:20.120 was in I was in high school, and uh, it 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:23.240 was mostly in Anaheim. I did a little bit of 0:05:23.360 --> 0:05:25.159 l A stuff, but it was mostly in Anaheim. And yeah, 0:05:25.160 --> 0:05:28.240 we were just like stock baseball players at hotels and 0:05:28.360 --> 0:05:31.840 restaurants and we ran the joint. We had. It was 0:05:31.960 --> 0:05:34.719 wild back in in those days. Some of the stuff 0:05:34.760 --> 0:05:37.320 that that took place and at a great time, and 0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:39.920 we we found ways to sneak into the big a 0:05:40.279 --> 0:05:43.440 through the back. I mean stuff stuff you would be 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:45.920 like sent to you know, the Who's goal for these days, 0:05:45.960 --> 0:05:48.520 but we we had a whole racket going back then. 0:05:48.560 --> 0:05:50.800 It was a lot of fun and so so that's 0:05:50.800 --> 0:05:53.240 pretty cool. And the other fun fact about about you, 0:05:53.600 --> 0:05:55.760 Kevin is you've actually had I don't know if it's 0:05:55.760 --> 0:05:58.800 a fun fact, but you've had the COVID. Yes I am. 0:05:58.920 --> 0:06:02.640 I am at COVID vivor yes, yes, And you said 0:06:02.640 --> 0:06:06.200 it you had a very mild it didn't really affect 0:06:06.240 --> 0:06:10.200 you much. Am I correcting that? Yeah? I had the 0:06:10.640 --> 0:06:14.039 chills and some sweats for one night, just one overnight. 0:06:14.040 --> 0:06:15.520 I woke up and I had a feeling, you know, 0:06:15.560 --> 0:06:18.120 after that, but I went got tested and tested positive. 0:06:18.160 --> 0:06:20.880 But after that one night I had some sniffles like 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:22.960 a mild cold for a couple of days, and then 0:06:23.360 --> 0:06:26.240 literally probably four or five days after that night, I 0:06:26.279 --> 0:06:29.520 was completely fine. A quarantine of course. Um. Actually quarantined 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:31.920 with my dad because he tested positive the same same day, 0:06:31.920 --> 0:06:33.840 because we went out of town with each other the 0:06:33.880 --> 0:06:36.839 weekend before and he's sixty years old, and he was 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:38.320 he had the same thing. He had one night of 0:06:38.360 --> 0:06:40.000 sweats and everything, and then he was good and we 0:06:40.080 --> 0:06:43.560 quarantined together for a couple of weeks. Wow. Yeah, And 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:45.960 so you did you lose your I've read that people 0:06:46.000 --> 0:06:48.799 lose their sense of smell and tasted. Did that happen 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:51.320 to you? No? I didn't. I had I've had a 0:06:51.360 --> 0:06:53.600 few friends and family members actually have that to him. 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:55.200 But yeah, that didn't happen to me or my dad, 0:06:55.200 --> 0:06:58.200 And I'm very thankful for that for sure. Now, the 0:06:58.240 --> 0:07:00.080 people that you know that have lost their sense of 0:07:00.240 --> 0:07:02.160 taste and smell, has it come back yet or is 0:07:02.200 --> 0:07:04.400 it still gone? Oh? Yeah, No, it was just about 0:07:04.400 --> 0:07:06.800 a week or so, probably a little over a week maybe. UM. 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:09.280 I think the person the longest I've known is maybe 0:07:09.279 --> 0:07:12.240 two weeks or so yeah, um, but now they're fine. 0:07:12.240 --> 0:07:14.600 They're fine now that this was what seven months ago now, 0:07:14.640 --> 0:07:17.720 back in early July. Okay, yeah, I got you, I 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:20.600 got you. Everyone's good, all right, everyone's all right, just 0:07:20.600 --> 0:07:23.520 just checking in that. All right. Now we've learned. See there, 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:26.560 we've learned a little bit about about you, Kim. Any 0:07:26.600 --> 0:07:28.400 other fun facts you'd like to share with the class 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:32.000 or is that is that enough? Um? No, nothing on 0:07:32.040 --> 0:07:33.520 the top of my head. I'm not too interesting, you know. 0:07:33.640 --> 0:07:35.800 And just uh no, no, you're not supposed to say that. 0:07:36.120 --> 0:07:39.560 The first rule of advertising you never right, you never 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:42.120 say I'm not I tell my wife this. You know, 0:07:42.120 --> 0:07:44.680 my my wife we've been selling some of the stuff, 0:07:44.720 --> 0:07:47.000 you know, my as we're going through my dad's stuff, 0:07:47.000 --> 0:07:49.320 the stuff we're getting rid of and whatever, and so 0:07:50.360 --> 0:07:52.800 rather than say, hey, you know this so and so 0:07:52.960 --> 0:07:54.520 is not that good, but do you want to know 0:07:54.680 --> 0:07:57.080 you you sell it and then you know, at the end, 0:07:57.400 --> 0:07:59.920 you start with a positive, go negative, and then go pause. 0:08:01.040 --> 0:08:03.240 I'm already learning a thing from you here, Ben, Yeah, 0:08:03.920 --> 0:08:06.720 eight minutes. Then, well, now see see what I learned, Kevin. 0:08:06.760 --> 0:08:08.880 I learned this about simple human nature, right I can. 0:08:09.000 --> 0:08:11.040 I've had a lot of meetings with program directors and 0:08:11.160 --> 0:08:13.920 radio and I've learned the tricks. Like they always start 0:08:13.920 --> 0:08:17.040 out with a positive boy, Ben, you sound really good. 0:08:17.080 --> 0:08:19.760 I like this show, and then they move into but 0:08:20.800 --> 0:08:23.480 and then they just bring down the hammer. But then 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:25.880 they finished with oh, by the way, I you know, 0:08:25.880 --> 0:08:27.680 I'm looking forward to hearing so and you know so 0:08:27.760 --> 0:08:31.720 they it's positive negative positive. Okay, Yeah, there's a whole 0:08:31.720 --> 0:08:34.839 science behind this. Well it works. It works for sales also, 0:08:35.000 --> 0:08:38.080 like works in the sales world. Also, okay, can I can? 0:08:38.120 --> 0:08:40.319 I'll say one thing then I do have another job. 0:08:40.360 --> 0:08:42.599 I run a h back company with my dad. That 0:08:42.640 --> 0:08:44.839 makes a little interesting, right, We have a faily business. Yeah, 0:08:44.840 --> 0:08:49.320 that we do on the side here look at now 0:08:49.559 --> 0:08:51.080 there's a lot of money in that, right, because they 0:08:51.120 --> 0:08:53.480 didn't they change the no that I mean they changed 0:08:53.559 --> 0:08:56.560 the in California a few years ago. Didn't They got 0:08:56.679 --> 0:09:00.600 rid of what's the free free Yes, yes it is 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:04.120 that old, Yes, the R twenty two um free on. 0:09:04.240 --> 0:09:05.520 But yes, there's a lot of I've been doing that 0:09:05.559 --> 0:09:07.920 since I was probably sixteen, you know, helping them out. 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:10.280 But the last four or five years I've definitely done 0:09:10.320 --> 0:09:13.319 a lot more with him and we are. Business is 0:09:13.800 --> 0:09:15.480 booming again this year. We had a little time off 0:09:15.559 --> 0:09:17.000 during the winter, but you know, as soon as that 0:09:17.280 --> 0:09:20.920 comes out in California, people they jump all over it. Yeah, 0:09:20.960 --> 0:09:22.880 where I'm living, at the house I'm in right now, 0:09:22.920 --> 0:09:25.800 we actually have a free on air conditioning unit. And 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:27.720 he told us, like, we're gonna have to get rid 0:09:27.760 --> 0:09:30.080 of it because when when it breaks, I guess you 0:09:30.120 --> 0:09:32.680 can't repair it or something like that. They said, yeah, 0:09:33.000 --> 0:09:34.520 like yeah, it's the whole like you were saying, the 0:09:34.520 --> 0:09:36.560 California rule. We have to put put the new free 0:09:36.600 --> 0:09:38.560 on in and the old systems don't take the uh 0:09:39.120 --> 0:09:41.640 the the new free on. They're just trying to cycle 0:09:41.679 --> 0:09:43.000 it out, if you will, kind of like the as 0:09:43.040 --> 0:09:46.520 best to the old duckwork stuff like that. And uh 0:09:46.640 --> 0:09:48.319 so if you ever need anything, you know who to call. Ben. 0:09:49.760 --> 0:09:52.360 I now I know I did not know that the 0:09:52.440 --> 0:09:55.400 things you learn, the things you learn. So now your 0:09:55.480 --> 0:09:57.400 dad taught you everything? And did you did you have 0:09:57.440 --> 0:09:59.160 to go to school or your dad taught you everything? 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:01.079 Now he's taught me every thing. He went to school 0:10:01.320 --> 0:10:03.800 when he was younger, and he actually he works for 0:10:03.920 --> 0:10:06.880 l A County um as a refrigeration supervisor for the 0:10:07.000 --> 0:10:09.840 jails all in l A County jails downtown and then 0:10:09.880 --> 0:10:11.320 he kind of does this on the side. And he's 0:10:11.320 --> 0:10:14.640 taught me everything as far as residential UM since like 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:16.120 I said, I was about sixteen or so, I've never 0:10:16.120 --> 0:10:18.760 gone to school for it. UM. I've gone to regular school, 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:22.319 but not anything as far as a trade for it. 0:10:23.320 --> 0:10:25.640 Shot Dad has to go into the prisons and fix 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:29.680 the refrigerators. He he used to be involved in the prisons. 0:10:29.679 --> 0:10:31.720 Now he's more of a supervisor sitting on the desk, 0:10:31.760 --> 0:10:33.560 but he kind of has it for most of his career, 0:10:33.720 --> 0:10:36.360 a truck route where he would go from um, yeah, 0:10:36.400 --> 0:10:40.160 either jails to jails, walk around. He's his first not 0:10:40.280 --> 0:10:42.280 first job, a main job for a while was a 0:10:42.280 --> 0:10:45.000 twin towers jail. And actually, you know what's funny, I'm 0:10:45.000 --> 0:10:47.800 thinking about this since he worked with obviously Coope justin Samponia, 0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:50.000 was in Liar Liar. He was there when they were 0:10:50.000 --> 0:10:54.200 filming when when um Jim Carrey got arrested and that 0:10:54.320 --> 0:10:55.920 jail or in that scene where they're in the jail 0:10:55.920 --> 0:10:59.000 making a phone call. He was around for that. Oh 0:10:59.160 --> 0:11:03.440 is that right? Yeah, that's kind of fun factory. So 0:11:03.480 --> 0:11:05.280 how long does it take you? If somebody I'm just 0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:07.280 curious how the air conditioning business work, I wanta go 0:11:07.320 --> 0:11:10.880 back to that. So how how long if I call 0:11:10.920 --> 0:11:13.280 you up, I say I need my air conditioning replaced 0:11:13.360 --> 0:11:15.920 or whatever. You gotta buy this stuff, obviously, but can 0:11:15.960 --> 0:11:17.440 you just do it in? How many hours does it 0:11:17.480 --> 0:11:21.240 take to switch out in air condition Uh? Obviously it 0:11:21.280 --> 0:11:25.840 depends on the size of the house, the um, the system, everything. 0:11:25.880 --> 0:11:27.240 But if you I mean, if you're just changing out 0:11:27.240 --> 0:11:29.360 the equipment itself, meaning just like the furnace and just 0:11:29.400 --> 0:11:31.480 a condenser, we can get that done in one day. 0:11:32.120 --> 0:11:33.880 'p about rip out the old stuff, putting the new. 0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:36.240 But then, you know, we like to do it the 0:11:36.320 --> 0:11:38.200 right way, as we say, and we like to keep 0:11:38.240 --> 0:11:41.600 it nice and clean and um we you know, take 0:11:41.640 --> 0:11:42.880 our time and we do it the right way and 0:11:42.920 --> 0:11:44.959 adding new duckwork. Everything is all about the duck work too, 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:46.600 So it could take up to a few days, two 0:11:46.600 --> 0:11:48.319 to three days if you do the whole change out 0:11:48.320 --> 0:11:51.920 of everything. So you spend a lot of time in addicts, Yes, 0:11:52.160 --> 0:11:54.320 a lot of time. I'm the addic guy, that's what 0:11:54.360 --> 0:11:57.240 they call it. Your dad's probably get up in the 0:11:57.240 --> 0:12:01.040 are you're younger, try to keep him out, you know, 0:12:01.200 --> 0:12:03.280 and you know he's sixty now. I don't want him 0:12:03.320 --> 0:12:07.040 going up in there. That's where all the nasty stuff is, man, 0:12:07.040 --> 0:12:09.120 that's where the that's where the varmints are running around 0:12:09.120 --> 0:12:11.480 the attic. I bet you've seen some crazy stuff in attics, right, 0:12:11.520 --> 0:12:15.280 and bugs and critters and all that stuff. Yeah, you know. Surprisingly, 0:12:15.320 --> 0:12:17.360 I mean I've seen a lot, quite a few, but 0:12:17.559 --> 0:12:19.280 not as many as you would think. For how long 0:12:19.280 --> 0:12:21.920 I've been doing this for almost what almost fifteen years now, 0:12:22.040 --> 0:12:24.840 and I've probably only seen maybe two live rats. And 0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:26.720 I've seen plenty of dead ones and traps or something 0:12:26.760 --> 0:12:30.320 like that, but uh, not as much as you would think. Actually, Well, 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:32.600 where I live at at the Mallard Mansion, I have 0:12:33.000 --> 0:12:36.840 heard critters running around in the attic, but I've never 0:12:36.880 --> 0:12:38.920 gone up to see what kind of critters there. I'm 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:41.840 convinced it's like a squirrel. It's sounds because I have 0:12:41.840 --> 0:12:43.480 a lot of squirrels around where I live here, and 0:12:43.480 --> 0:12:45.360 I'm thinking one of them got or two of them 0:12:45.400 --> 0:12:46.880 got in the attic and we're running around, but I 0:12:46.880 --> 0:12:49.720 haven't heard it. I think it died, so it's probably 0:12:49.880 --> 0:12:53.240 stuck up in there somewhere. Yeah, yeah, I I don't 0:12:53.240 --> 0:12:54.880 know if it has like a door it goes out 0:12:54.920 --> 0:12:57.560 and he's only there for the summertime, and I don't 0:12:57.559 --> 0:13:03.320 know anyway. All right, Well you're all the hot seat now, Kevin. Congratulations, Yes, 0:13:03.440 --> 0:13:05.680 all right. Be sure to catch live editions of The 0:13:05.679 --> 0:13:08.599 Ben Maller Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven p 0:13:08.800 --> 0:13:12.120 m Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart 0:13:12.200 --> 0:13:15.480 Radio app. So I've I've memory Lane here I wanted 0:13:15.480 --> 0:13:18.920 to talk about so before working with Eddie, I've been 0:13:18.960 --> 0:13:21.880 with Eddie for a long time. I did the Overnight 0:13:21.920 --> 0:13:26.360 show with Karen Ka KK, as we call her, and 0:13:26.480 --> 0:13:29.000 this week I reached out to Karen. I had not 0:13:29.040 --> 0:13:31.520 talked to Karen in a good amount of time, but 0:13:31.559 --> 0:13:36.520 on January, the day that Joe Biden was sworn in 0:13:36.559 --> 0:13:40.079 as the new President of the United States, I sent 0:13:40.280 --> 0:13:43.559 KK a text. And the reason I sent KK a 0:13:43.679 --> 0:13:48.360 text that was an important day. We like round numbers, 0:13:48.400 --> 0:13:54.319 we like anniversaries, human beings, right, markers because without without 0:13:54.400 --> 0:13:58.040 those markers, it's all just a big blob. Life's just 0:13:58.080 --> 0:14:00.000 a big blob. Right, That's the reason we have how 0:14:00.000 --> 0:14:03.240 of day is because otherwise it's just the monotony of 0:14:03.240 --> 0:14:05.480 the daily life, and you need things to break up 0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:08.160 the monotony, and so we have these holidays. But I 0:14:08.320 --> 0:14:11.600 reached out to KK Center a few text messages because 0:14:11.679 --> 0:14:15.200 that was the anniversary of something that we both have 0:14:15.240 --> 0:14:19.560 in common. That was the twelfth anniversary of my exit 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:24.600 stage right. I've been working at Fox Sports Radio since 0:14:24.640 --> 0:14:31.600 it launched up until twenty o nine January nine. Barack 0:14:31.720 --> 0:14:37.040 Obama was to be sworn in as the President of 0:14:37.080 --> 0:14:42.160 the United States that particular day, and I was given 0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:47.280 the boot. I was excommunicated from from Fox Sports Trading 0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:50.160 one of the worst decisions they ever made, and so 0:14:50.400 --> 0:14:53.120 I was at that time. I remember very well. To 0:14:53.160 --> 0:14:55.600 give you the story. If you're new to the story 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:57.120 and you've not heard it, I've told it a few 0:14:57.120 --> 0:15:00.320 times over the years. But I was looking forward, first 0:15:00.320 --> 0:15:03.000 of all, to watching the presidential inauguration, believe it or not. 0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:08.280 Even though I lean more to Team Read, I enjoy 0:15:08.440 --> 0:15:12.000 the political nonsense with presidents being sworn in things like that, 0:15:12.040 --> 0:15:13.800 and I always pulled for the president. Why would you 0:15:13.800 --> 0:15:16.600 not pull for the president because you're in America, whether 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:19.040 it's a democratic Republican. So I've always believed in That's 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:21.600 how I was raised, and so I was looking forward 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:23.240 to seeing it was historic. I heard a lot of 0:15:23.480 --> 0:15:25.920 a lot of things Barack Obama, the first black president, 0:15:25.920 --> 0:15:27.600 and all this stuff. So I was looking forward to watching. 0:15:27.960 --> 0:15:33.040 And uh, the night before, the night before, it was 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:38.240 one of the craziest nights in my radio journey. So 0:15:38.320 --> 0:15:40.440 at that time, the show is called The Third Shift 0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:44.640 with Ben Maller and came in. It was a normal night. 0:15:44.680 --> 0:15:48.840 I remember I was doing a monologue about Bill Kauer 0:15:50.800 --> 0:15:53.120 for some reason. That's what I remember. I don't remember 0:15:53.120 --> 0:15:55.200 exactly what I was saying about Bill Kauer, but I was. 0:15:55.760 --> 0:15:59.760 I was doing some rift about Bill Kauer. And I 0:16:00.120 --> 0:16:03.480 forget what exactly had happened, whether he had left the 0:16:03.520 --> 0:16:06.560 Steelers or just left the Steelers, or he was up 0:16:06.600 --> 0:16:09.960 for a coaching job somewhere else, or there was some 0:16:09.960 --> 0:16:13.080 something with Bill Kauer that was going on at that time. 0:16:13.880 --> 0:16:18.560 So I'm doing my thing talking about Kaur, and I 0:16:18.560 --> 0:16:22.560 I got tipped off from someone that we were going 0:16:22.640 --> 0:16:25.480 to be fired or laid off, however you want to 0:16:25.520 --> 0:16:29.560 call it. The next day. Now, keep in mind that 0:16:30.120 --> 0:16:33.520 that breaks the fourth wall. If you will. I think 0:16:33.520 --> 0:16:35.200 I'm saying it the right way here, because there's a 0:16:35.280 --> 0:16:42.480 cardinal rule in radio that you never get a final show. 0:16:44.000 --> 0:16:47.840 You never get a final show. Now, there are exceptions 0:16:47.840 --> 0:16:51.080 to the rule if you're all time legend and they 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:53.400 let you get a final show and you could say goodbye. 0:16:53.400 --> 0:16:57.240 But generally speaking, if you're just a rank and file 0:16:57.400 --> 0:17:00.840 radio person, you don't get a final show. Your final show, 0:17:01.280 --> 0:17:03.600 they pull you at the end of the show. They 0:17:03.760 --> 0:17:05.919 give you an envelope with some cash and say, get 0:17:05.960 --> 0:17:07.280 the hell out of here and take up here's a 0:17:07.359 --> 0:17:12.240 box and fill it up. Um. But technically that night, 0:17:12.440 --> 0:17:16.920 that final night, I think it was like a Monday. 0:17:17.000 --> 0:17:19.160 If I remember correctly, I'd have to go back and check. 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:23.840 But we did get a final show because the company 0:17:23.840 --> 0:17:25.760 had sent out an email. I got an email about 0:17:26.520 --> 0:17:28.280 I think it was about half an hour into the 0:17:28.359 --> 0:17:34.240 overnight show that said there was a mandatory meeting at 0:17:34.440 --> 0:17:38.800 three o'clock the next day. Now, if you know how 0:17:39.880 --> 0:17:45.200 corporate America works and the corporate world, they don't send 0:17:45.280 --> 0:17:48.639 emails telling you to go to a meeting after five pm, 0:17:48.720 --> 0:17:51.840 you know what I mean, Like during regular business hours, 0:17:52.400 --> 0:17:54.800 you would send an email you on eight in the morning, 0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:56.879 nine ten, went all the way up through like about 0:17:56.880 --> 0:18:01.399 five o'clock, but after that generally is ABO. So I 0:18:01.440 --> 0:18:04.480 get this email, you know, late at night demanding that 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:08.080 I show up for this very important meeting at three 0:18:08.080 --> 0:18:11.159 o'clock in the afternoon on So this is actually January. 0:18:11.320 --> 0:18:14.280 It's the overnight in early morning hours on January twenty, 0:18:14.280 --> 0:18:17.639 if you could say it's nineteen. But so anyway, I 0:18:17.640 --> 0:18:20.200 get the email whatever, and uh, and then we were 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:23.199 tipped off before that that there were going to be 0:18:23.359 --> 0:18:27.440 mass layoffs coming and a number of us were going 0:18:27.480 --> 0:18:30.600 to be uh, let go, And so I was numb. 0:18:30.760 --> 0:18:32.760 I remember the feeling I had was numb. I was 0:18:32.800 --> 0:18:35.600 like it was I couldn't focus on anything, and it 0:18:35.640 --> 0:18:37.359 was really you know, you imagine the feeling you've been 0:18:37.359 --> 0:18:42.439 in a situation similar in your life. And so anyway, 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:46.040 I called the text care and K this week to reminiscence. 0:18:46.080 --> 0:18:48.520 I did not reach out to Bergie. I was gonna 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:51.960 text Burgie. He's a big radio executive now, Gregg Bergman 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:54.360 was my producer at the time, and he's uh, he's 0:18:54.400 --> 0:18:57.359 doing very well for himself in in l A radio. 0:18:57.400 --> 0:18:58.760 So I did not reach out to him, but I 0:18:59.040 --> 0:19:02.040 did reach out to k Kay. I also remember that day. 0:19:02.200 --> 0:19:06.920 I recall calling my dear old mom as she rest 0:19:06.960 --> 0:19:08.639 in peace, and I had to tell her Mom, I 0:19:08.680 --> 0:19:12.080 got let go again, and uh, because I had been 0:19:12.160 --> 0:19:14.239 let going a long time. But I I had had 0:19:14.280 --> 0:19:18.760 a few um divorces, shall we say, in the early 0:19:18.800 --> 0:19:21.440 part of my my radio career, but usually I I 0:19:22.200 --> 0:19:24.040 was pretty lucky where I would just transfer, like I 0:19:24.080 --> 0:19:27.199 started in San Diego Radio. I did that for a 0:19:27.200 --> 0:19:30.719 few years in the nineties, and then they the company 0:19:30.760 --> 0:19:33.480 I was working for, launched the station in the Los 0:19:33.480 --> 0:19:37.240 Angeles market, and I was based in Orange County, covering 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:40.720 all of southern California, mostly l A in Orange County, 0:19:40.720 --> 0:19:42.080 and so they're like, well, you're already in l A. 0:19:42.119 --> 0:19:43.960 Why don't we just transfer you to the l A station. 0:19:43.960 --> 0:19:46.760 So I went there. They then got rid of me, 0:19:47.400 --> 0:19:48.800 so I got laid off from that. I had a 0:19:48.840 --> 0:19:51.879 college football job I got laid off from or fired 0:19:51.880 --> 0:19:54.080